Diadema and fatherly influences
David Luiz Moreira Marinho was born April 22nd , 1987 in Diadema, Sao Paulo, Brazil. The only son to schoolteachers Regina Celia & Ladislau Luiz.
Both parents were extremely devoted Christians, a faith in which David inherited with equal discipline. He often attended outings at his local church parish along with his sister Isabelle, his only sibling.
From a young age David was a cheerful, outgoing and soft-spoken child. Luiz would often be found playing on the streets of Diadema with his childhood best friend, Thiago. Thiago and David were introduced at a young age due to the friendship their parents shared, as well as living only a few houses away.
The pair were inseparable, spending most days playing football from sunrise to sunset. As the boys grew so did their aspirations, often fueled by David’s father.
Ladislau Luiz had a decorated semi-professional playing career. Although unfortunately he never made the breakthrough to the top level. This can be attributed to the lack of exposure in those days in comparison to the scouting networks we see today.
Luiz and turbulent beginnings at São Paulo
“I remember the first time I said a bad word in front of my sister, my dad sat me down
at the table. I had a different attitude then, not the right attitude. What do you want for
your life?’ he asked. I said I wanted to play football. No,’ he said. ‘First you must
become a good human. I want you to become a footballer, too. But first you must be a
good human, with honesty, character, dignity.”
At first the boys were turned away by multiple clubs after being deemed too small. Thiago was short and stocky, while David was tall and slender.
Eventually the offers began to slow and boyhood friends decided to take separate paths, making a pact that one day they would be reunited on the
field. This pact would eventually lead to worldwide fame as the childhood friends kept good on their word. David Luiz and Thiago Silva would indeed go on to achieve great things.
David Eventually earned himself a place in the youth academy of his hometown side, São Paulo FC. But his joy was short lived as he experienced some harsh treatment at the hand of senior players.
Luiz was the victim of some questionable methods of punishment, most notably the time the club forced David to shave off his now-iconic long curly hair. David’s hair is something he takes great pride in as it is a
symbol of his Afro-Brazilian heritage. Shortly after this incident São Paulo released David from the youth academy at the age of 14.
Following his release from Sao Paulo David approached his parents with a proposal that they pay for a flight to Salvador so as he could make one last attempt at gaining a place within an academy.
Vitória redemption and Benfica reward
Over the course of a few months his parents raised the funds to grant Luiz his wish. Upon arrival in Salvador, Luiz had arranged to take part in a trial with Vitória de Setúbal.
Initially, the Clubs coaches were unimpressed with the young central midfielder. At the request of an onlooking coach, David was moved to centre-back for the second half of the match. He fared extremely well, showed an impressive range of passing, a knack for reading the game, and the ability to stay calm under pressure almost to a fault.
It was this second half performance that earned Luiz entry into Vitoria’s academy.
Throughout his time within Vitoria’s youth setup, David insisted on playing as a central midfielder; a stance that at one point had the club on the verge of releasing him completely due to a run of poor performances. Luiz eventually surrendered to the recommendation, and once again made the move into the centre of defense. And once again, David excelled.
In 2006 Luiz made his senior debut for VFC against Santa Cruz, which ended in a 2-2 draw. The club would finish the season in second position, gaining promotion to the second tier of Brazilian football.
On January 30th , 2007, Luiz made his move to Portuguese giants Benfica, on an initial loan deal before securing a permanent contract 6 months later.
The Brazilians most notable season was during 2009/2010 when he tallied an impressive 49 appearances totaling to a staggering 4,206 minutes
of playing time. It was at the closing of this season that Benfica ended an inconceivable five year wait to regain the league title.
Chelsea blue; a color that Luiz looked good in
Through Luiz’s consistent and flamboyant playing style, some of Europe’s bigger clubs began showing interest in the Sao Paulo native. Premier League giants Chelsea sat up and took notice, and set their sights firmly on the Brazilian.
Luiz completed his move to southwest London on January 31st, 2011, for a reported 25 million euros. He came under scrutiny almost immediately due to his willingness to play risky passes and dribble out from the back; a style that in those days was extremely uncommon for a defender.
David went on to make 86 appearances for the blues, collecting both the FA Cup, and the prestigious UEFA Champions League.
Brazil, 2018, and a night to forget
After Chelsea success, he began featuring consistently within the Brazilian set-up, making his debut in August 2010 following his impressive form with Benfica. By 2014, he was a mainstay for the national team. This was a lifelong dream for young David.
He now stood shoulder to shoulder with his best friend Thiago, representing their homeland on the word stage. Just like they had promised.
It would all come crashing down during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. In the absence of Thiago Silva due to a knee injury, David was awarded the honor of being named captain for the home nations clash against Germany.
Brazil had been in a poor run of form leading up to the iconic clash, and the poor form continued. The Seleção went on to lose in a dramatic 7-1 trashing.
Upon the final whistle, the Brazilian fans erupted with jeering and booing, and the team were visibly shaken with numerous players unable to hold back their tears, including David. It was a day that will be spoken about for generations to come.
“After 7-1 against Germany, many went into hiding, did not face each other, did not
want to take responsibility, I carried the burden myself for a long time. People always
reminded me of what I did at the World Cup, but erased everything else.”
The City of Lights and a return to Old Albion
On June 13th, 2014, following a fairly successful spell in south London, Luiz departed for Paris as Chelsea had declared him surplice to requirement.
The club accepted a bid from the French financial juggernauts, reported to be in the region of £50m; a record fee for a defender at that time.
David endured arguably the most successful period of his career over his two-year stint with PSG, collecting all three available domestic trophies in back-to-back seasons. But there was unfinished business across the English Channel.
Luiz returned to Chelsea in August of 2016 signing a 3-year deal. This time around, he would go on to play a pivotal part in securing the Premier League title for the blues that season. In the process, he gained individual recognition by being named in the PFA Team Of The Year.
During the summer of 2019, Luiz had been in discussions regarding his role within the Chelsea team following the installment of ex player and Chelsea legend Frank Lampard as head coach.
David, unhappy with the results of these discussions, voiced his desire to move on. And he would not be moving far.
London is Red; Luiz joins Arsenal
“It’s a great feeling. It’s a new cycle in my life, in my career as a footballer. I’m excited to play for this big club. I grew up watching a lot of Arsenal games, especially the great players from the past, so I’m excited to try to help this club to do some big things.”
On August 8th, 2019, Luiz made his shock move to Arsenal on Deadline Day. It was a move that divided the fanbase due to his reputation for making high profile mistakes.
Arsenal have been in what some would consider a defensive crisis for several years, and to many, he represented the opposite of what was required.
It would be fair to summarize his time in North London as hot and cold. During the gunners first game back post-lockdown, David was sent off against Manchester City while giving away a penalty in the process, leading to a 3-0 defeat.
Many solely blamed Luiz for the result. Many more called for the club to move him out the door at the end of the season once his contract had expired.
Mikel Arteta had other plans, however, and Luiz was given a contract extension soon after. A brave and bold decision by the young Spanish manager indeed.
Redemption round 2; FA Cup Glory
It was faith repaid for Luiz, by winning over the Arsenal faithful with excellent displays in the semi-final of the FA Cup against Manchester City, as
well as in the 2-1 final win against his former club Chelsea.
This was an achievement for the club that was unimaginable only mere months ago. Luiz played a crucial role in this success.
It’s no secret that David Luiz is prone to making mistakes, and susceptible to a moment of madness. He is far from being the most solid defender in world football, also. These are all fair assertions.
But David Luiz possesses undeniable qualities that few players do. His ability to instill confidence in those around him, and to take an excessive
amount of criticism without so much as blinking.
Often compared to a clown, or Side-Show Bob, Luiz’s accolades speak for themselves. Questions and criticism will be a constant for as long as he
takes to the field.
One thing is for sure, once you pull on the famous red and white you become a Gooner. You become one of us. Thank you.